What is Your Favorite Christmas or Holiday Food?

The holidays are a time of year when food takes center stage and traditions and gatherings revolve around it.

What Christmas food or drink do you look forward to all year and always make sure to enjoy over the holidays? Or if you are eating a special diet right now, what food or drink do you miss the most?

My favorite is my mom's Christmas cookies (and she makes all different kinds). I can't pick one, because they are all SO good. I really like to combine chocolate and peppermint, so anything with those two flavors is high on my list.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who cannot pick just one. For cookies, my favorites are rolled pecan cookies & Spritz (similar to a short-bread cookie). But I crave the turkey dinner too, with mashed potatoes & gravy & dressing...just typing this is making me hungry for it all over again.

I can't decide!!! Probably either ham or fudge.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

But I crave the turkey dinner too, with mashed potatoes & gravy & dressing...just typing this is making me hungry for it all over again.

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Oh yeah, I'm cooking the whole turkey, stuffing, cornbread, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, etc, etc. That's a must do for Christmas. Even if no one is coming over. :D

Going to do it on Christmas Eve this year and then have the leftovers for the next couple days so I don't have to keep cooking.

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Originally Posted by mlededee

Oh yeah, I'm cooking the whole turkey, stuffing, cornbread, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, etc, etc. That's a must do for Christmas. Even if no one is coming over. :D

Going to do it on Christmas Eve this year and then have the leftovers for the next couple days so I don't have to keep cooking.

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:gj: Same here, killer leftovers! It takes me a long time to get tired of it...if ever?

Eggnog and rum. Tis the season!

I'm getting hungry...

My mother’s poppyseed bread


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Thanksgiving is our Turkey Day, usually, and Christmas is the day for ham. I'm all about the sweets, though, and peppermint candy canes and petites fours mean Christmas to me.

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

My mother’s poppyseed bread


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Thanks for the memory (& taste, even!)- made me think of the poppyseed danish rolls my mom used to make "ages ago".

I wish eggnog were sold year-round.

This year since we have a smaller group I'm keeping it simple: standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding with steamed fresh veggies. Desert will be fresh fruit topped with a yogurt-based sauce.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

I wish eggnog were sold year-round.

This year since we have a smaller group I'm keeping it simple: standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding with steamed fresh veggies. Desert will be fresh fruit topped with a yogurt-based sauce.

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Can we get "take out"? :D And I agree, it's so annoying that just when you get hooked on eggnog, it disappears again for another year. I guess you just have to learn to make your own.

"Cooked" eggnog is pretty easy to make if you are patient. Basically you take a creme anglaise recipe and add your cinnamon and nutmeg spices at the end. If you get it too hot you end up with a mess though.

Since I have a five-rib roast for four people there will likely be leftovers for weekend sammiches.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

creme anglaise

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First time those words have been spoken here. Watch out or you are going to have backyard guests for dinner. :P

Reading this thread at 3am when I'm starving was a mistake lol...

I love ginger molasses cookies, home made peppermint hot chocolate, and turkey with cranberry sauce, although I often enjoy the turkey more when we put the leftovers into a soup than when it's fresh out of the oven because I find it's a bit too dry after baking (probably not baking it right but oh well!)

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Originally Posted by Luvyna

Reading this thread at 3am when I'm starving was a mistake lol...

I love ginger molasses cookies, home made peppermint hot chocolate, and turkey with cranberry sauce, although I often enjoy the turkey more when we put the leftovers into a soup than when it's fresh out of the oven because I find it's a bit too dry after baking (probably not baking it right but oh well!)

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Turkey is dry no matter how you cook it, usually. It's just a dry meat. Why couldn't turkey soup have been the thing way back when? ;)

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Originally Posted by Spicey

Turkey is dry no matter how you cook it, usually. It's just a dry meat. Why couldn't turkey soup have been the thing way back when? ;)

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Brining the turkey before baking can help make it more moist, but all that salt isn't good for ya; many turkeys sold in grocery stores have been injected for similar, moister outcomes, but I still prefer the naturally-raised version from my local 'health food' store. I figure that's what gravy is for...;)

Turkey is by far my favorite food for Christmas and egg nog of course. Since Christmas is a little different this year, just me and my boyfriend, I am just making a 6 pound turkey breast in my Instant Pot that my boyfriend got me for Christmas a little early. There will be stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, turkey gravy and all the fixings also.

We are a mixed religion house. Eggnog and Latkes.

We have the choice of two ( meats ?) :-
So turkey and lamb for the main meal along with loads of roast potatoes, mash , green beans , garden peas and carrots .. plus lashings of gravy !! ( apple sauce and mint sauce )





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Originally Posted by Spicey

Turkey is dry no matter how you cook it, usually. It's just a dry meat. Why couldn't turkey soup have been the thing way back when? ;)

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Haha good to know we aren't messing up the turkey baking too badly then!

Sometimes I think the real appeal of turkey is that we associate eating it with being around friends and family, and that it's big enough to feed a bunch of people at once. I always find the meat dry, yet I still look forward to eating it every year :D

Surely there’s a way of cooking turkey to get it moist ??

I’ll have to ask the wife although I think we get a leg of lamb and turkey crown of late ...

I’m sure the wife cooks whole chickens upside down so the breast is cooking in the juices ?? It’s never dry anyways


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I’m sure the wife cooks whole chickens upside down so the breast is cooking in the juices ?? It’s never dry anyways

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I did that once with a turkey, quite by accident. Totally ruined the presentation of the bird - it fell apart when I tried to remove it from the roaster and of course it didn't have that lovely browned skin over the breast. The meat was excellent though.

One trick to moisten breast meat is to carefully separate and slightly lift the skin (without tearing or breaking it) from the top of the turkey just enough to slip your hand under it, and rub softened butter between the skin and turkey breast. You can also add poultry seasoning or garlic powder to the butter. The melted butter will slowly baste the breast meat as the turkey is roasted. If you have an unbrined turkey you can use bacon grease instead. Note that every frozen turkey in the grocery store has been brined, and if you use bacon grease on a brined bird it gets oversalted.

Homemade bacon stuffing, and homemade tamales (Beef, chicken, pork, cheese, pineapple) the boss only makes them once a year, so we make her make as many different as she can without pissing her off lol) And Jack Daniels please. I just wait and talk to the boys (my snakes). They’re just about to finish up eating for a couple of months? Maybe mouse tamales would keep them eating? Peace love and Robots.

Gotta have tamales on Christmas Eve or it just doesn't feel right - am going with shredded chicken/tomatillo sauce/jack cheese and green chile/corn/jack cheese flavors this year. Torn between a nice turkey dinner because the leftovers are so awesome or maybe a small standing rib roast. I'll miss making/having dinner with friends this year, but I'd rather we all stay safe and enjoy virtual greetings. Sweets-wise I am a huge fan of shortbread cookies, molasses cookies, and pecan meltaways. I'll probably make all three and leave some on friends' doorsteps to make sure there's not too much temptation here at home.